[Sethos]

This is what the final result looks like. Yes, I know it isn't exactly a beaut and yes I know the cable management could be a lot better ( Tons of cables ) but I'm tired and this will do :P But man, this entire build has been nothing but a headache because of one single piece of kit: The Phanteks. Every single snag I've hit has been due to that or the fans attached. First it was the fan clips hitting the GPU and now I've been fighting with extreme noise because the fans included needs to be reduced by QSA cables.



Now it's really quiet except its natural low level hum seems to 'swing', like increase and decrease in noise in slow waves. Nothing major but I have that insane dog hearing and it's a bit annoying. Tried stopping every single fan, pressing my hand against metal to stop any vibrations, tried holding the HDDs but it persists ... Not sure why it does it.

Next stop is overclocking / undervolting ... Hate that part.

[mkenyon]

Sethos, how did you get all of that mounted without a motherboard? Crazy.

:P

Sounds like there's a fan that is off balance, that's what'll cause the wave.

[Sethos]

Sounds like there's a fan that is off balance, that's what'll cause the wave.

Yeah that's what I figured but I've stopped every single fan and it still persists, also the GPU fans. I'm just baffled.

[Ledsen]

FUCK

So I told you guys about how my computer started BSOD:ing and then refused to enter Windows, shortly after I (luckily) ordered a SSD and made backups of all my stuff. I thought it was my ancient 2005 HDD that failed, Occam's Razor and all that. But now... just got my new SSD and installed Windows, had strange problems and got a couple of BSODs, was like SHIT...


...long story short, I ran memtest and one of my sticks is ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR ad infinitum. The other one checks out fine and has no errors. Of course I've got one of those fancy 8 GB kits with two sticks, so I'll probably have to send in both stick and thus being unable to use my comp for probably the whole of next week...

FUCK :(

[NoRéN]

FUCK So I told you guys about how my computer started BSOD:ing and then refused to enter Windows, shortly after I (luckily) ordered a SSD and made backups of all my stuff. I thought it was my ancient 2005 HDD that failed, Occam's Razor and all that. But now... just got my new SSD and installed Windows, had strange problems and got a couple of BSODs, was like SHIT... ...long story short, I ran memtest and one of my sticks is ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR ad infinitum. The other one checks out fine and has no errors. Of course I've got one of those fancy 8 GB kits with two sticks, so I'll probably have to send in both stick and thus being unable to use my comp for probably the whole of next week... FUCK :(

Where did you buy the ram? I'm sure if you explain that they will send you a replacement set and you can wait til it arrives to send in the defectives.

[Whooter]

I realize that not everyone is made of money (I'm certainly not), but why not pick up another 8GB kit locally somewhere for what, $50? RMA the original sticks, and then re-sell either the RMA replacements or the ones you used in the interim?

[Ace 8095]

This is what I've put together so far. I still need a case and a GTX 670. Have I done anything stupid?

[NoRéN]

Quick question, everyone. So, I'm slowly building a PC with parts from Hazaro's Budget and Standard PC builds in the OP. I was going to go with the Antec VP450 450W listed on the build list when I noticed that amazon had this Cooler Master Elite 460W ATX +12V V2.31 SATA, PCI-E Power Supply RS460-PSAR-J3-US for slightly less.

Would getting this be a problem? Any compatibility issues, etc?

[Sethos]

Wow, found my noise culprit - It was the HDDs. I took two x 750GBs from my old build as storage and they apparently just make a massive racket in this case. Doesn't sound like they're going bad or anything, just the Cosmos II's 'easy install' HDD system has piss poor vibration management. It's actually vibrating the entire case slightly at regular intervals. Moved them up from the bays below to the top ones and it's reduced ever so slightly but not enough ... Think I'll dump what's on them to my new storage drive and ditch them.

I welcome an SSD future.

[Ledsen]

Where did you buy the ram? I'm sure if you explain that they will send you a replacement set and you can wait til it arrives to send in the defectives.

At inet.se, Swedish online retailer. I e-mailed support about it, let's see what they say...

I realize that not everyone is made of money (I'm certainly not), but why not pick up another 8GB kit locally somewhere for what, $50? RMA the original sticks, and then re-sell either the RMA replacements or the ones you used in the interim?

There aren't really any shops that sell computer parts around here (small 7000 inhabitants town), I'd have to go about 1 hour by car to get to a bigger town. Not worth it, and I don't want the hassle of having to re-sell them.

[Gritesh]

Man am I mad I bought a 7950 during the most recent round of price drops I didn't think the 670 would blow the doors off the 7950 for 50 bucks more.

[Sethos]

Man am I mad I bought a 7950 during the most recent round of price drops I didn't think the 670 would blow the doors off the 7950 for 50 bucks more.

Look on the bright side, you can OC the crap out of that 7950

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Last pieces of hardware arrived, among them the single most expensive item of the entire build. 'Tis going to be hot.

It's...it's... beautiful.

[Quadrophenic]

I recently came into some money so I have decided to spend a bit and finally update my computer (something i've been telling myself I would for the past 2 years lol)...I am getting pretty close to pulling the trigger on this build, but wanted to run it by you guys first to make sure I didn't make any grevious errors in picking the parts. Its mostly built using the recommendations in the OP:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Hard Drive: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7SBs

I have a current HDD i'll use for storage in conjunction with the SSD listed above.

[Gritesh]

Look on the bright side, you can OC the crap out of that 7950

Yeah I'm not running it at stock speeds at all but still..interesting to see what kind of oc'ing the 670 is capable of


In the end I still have a card that can dominate most games with no issues do its not like I will notice a difference plus I got the higher VRAM



Gotta take what wins I can get

[mkenyon]

I recently came into some money so I have decided to spend a bit and finally update my computer (something i've been telling myself I would for the past 2 years lol)...I am getting pretty close to pulling the trigger on this build, but wanted to run it by you guys first to make sure I didn't make any grevious errors in picking the parts. Its mostly built using the recommendations in the OP: CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory Hard Drive: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card Case: Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Mid Tower Case Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7SBs I have a current HDD i'll use for storage in conjunction with the SSD listed above.

Drop RAM to 8GB, get a 670 instead of the 680, reduce PSU to 650W version.

[Ace 8095]

Drop RAM to 8GB, get a 670 instead of the 680, reduce PSU to 650W version.

Do you need a 650w for a 670 or would a 550w suffice?

[mkenyon]

550W, but I dont think Corsair has a 550W version.

Both the (seasonic) X650 and the (corsair) AX650 can be found on sale for under $100 often.

[Sulla1980]

Solid Advice

Thanks! I wasn't really clear, but I am spending a few days in the states so I was planning on picking up some parts at Micro Center while across the border. Anyway, thanks for your advice. I am just cooling the CPU with a hyper 212 and not really looking for extreme overclocks (or SLI).

Thanks again.

[Quadrophenic]

Drop RAM to 8GB, get a 670 instead of the 680, reduce PSU to 650W version.

Sounds good, I figured I was overdoing it but I was trying to compensate for my inherit stinginess lol.

Here's the parts I swapped out as per your suggestions:

EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/85q9

I noticed the price difference between the 650 and 750 was only like $10, is there any value in getting the 750 for future proofing or anything?

[mkenyon]

Power draw will continue to go down, we've pretty much hit a peak there. The only reason would be to allow for SLI in the future, but the AX650 should handle that just fine.

[Quadrophenic]

Thanks for the info and help, much appreciated :)

[MrBig]

Sounds good, I figured I was overdoing it but I was trying to compensate for my inherit stinginess lol. Here's the parts I swapped out as per your suggestions: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply http://pcpartpicker.com/p/85q9 I noticed the price difference between the 650 and 750 was only like $10, is there any value in getting the 750 for future proofing or anything?

Tech usually tends to go down in power consumption, not up. Unless you plan to crosfire/sli there's no need. 670 perf is approximately the same as a 680, you're not downgrading, just saving $100 and a lot of time waiting for stock. There's no need for 16gb of ram unless you're working 10m+ polys or with video, so it's doubtful that you're downgrading there either.

[rhfb]

Guessing my current PSU is over kill then :| 750W for a 3770k/670 (no SLI)

I'll probably upgrade to a lower watt modular unit sometime in the future, but for now I'm going to just stick with it to keep the costs down.

[mkenyon]

Having too much isn't really an issue. As long as it's an efficient PSU, it's only going to draw what it needs.

[Ledsen]

FUCK So I told you guys about how my computer started BSOD:ing and then refused to enter Windows, shortly after I (luckily) ordered a SSD and made backups of all my stuff. I thought it was my ancient 2005 HDD that failed, Occam's Razor and all that. But now... just got my new SSD and installed Windows, had strange problems and got a couple of BSODs, was like SHIT... ...long story short, I ran memtest and one of my sticks is ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR ad infinitum. The other one checks out fine and has no errors. Of course I've got one of those fancy 8 GB kits with two sticks, so I'll probably have to send in both stick and thus being unable to use my comp for probably the whole of next week... FUCK :(

ASSBUCKETS OF SHITFUCK!

So IN ADDITION to the above problem, I've discovered that the source of the really loud cricket noises coming from the comp was not the HDD as I thought... To say the least, I was surprised when I had installed the SSD, started gaming, and it made the same loud noise as before! it was the god damned PSU! It's louder than all the fans and sounds like a horny cricket choir non-stop while gaming. So in one day I've discovered that BOTH one of my RAM sticks AND my PSU have to be RMA:d...

FML

[Whooter]

ASSBUCKETS OF SHITFUCK!

That's a lot of SHITFUCK.

Seriously, though, that sucks man. I feel for you... :(


---

Question time for everyone:

If I'm starting to put together a build and I've decided that I want to stay with i5-2500K is there a reason to still get a Z77 mobo if I'm not going Ivy Bridge now? I wouldn't anticipate upgrading my CPU for a year or more...

[Yusaku]

ASSBUCKETS OF SHITFUCK!

I love that band. I hear they're great live.

[Sethos]

ASSBUCKETS OF SHITFUCK! So IN ADDITION to the above problem, I've discovered that the source of the really loud cricket noises coming from the comp was not the HDD as I thought... To say the least, I was surprised when I had installed the SSD, started gaming, and it made the same loud noise as before! it was the god damned PSU! It's louder than all the fans and sounds like a horny cricket choir non-stop while gaming. So in one day I've discovered that BOTH one of my RAM sticks AND my PSU have to be RMA:d... FML

Whoa man, that really sucks :/

[MrBig]

If I'm starting to put together a build and I've decided that I want to stay with i5-2500K is there a reason to still get a Z77 mobo if I'm not going Ivy Bridge now? I wouldn't anticipate upgrading my CPU for a year or more...

Not unless there's any Z77 features you want. eg Asus's Wifi Go if you have an andriod/ios phone/tablet.

[Mr Swine]

So is there any way to get the built in sound card on my Asus Gene V to output in the virtual 5.1 that works with headphones?

[surly]

I'm having a minor issue with a new build.

Here's the basic specs: -

3770K
Maximus IV Gene Z/Gen3
16GB of Corsair RAM
Corsair 620HX PSU
No GPU is fitted yet as I'm saving up for one

In the BIOS, it lists my RAM as being 1,333 MHz when it's 1,600. I found someone with the same issue on another site and they just changed the relevant BIOS setting from "auto" to 1,600 and that was that, but when I try that I get a BSOD every time I shut the PC down.

Any idea what I may have done wrong, or what may be causing this?

[Labombadog]

I'm having a minor issue with a new build. Here's the basic specs: - 3770K Maximus IV Gene Z/Gen3 16GB of Corsair RAM Corsair 620HX PSU No GPU is fitted yet as I'm saving up for one In the BIOS, it lists my RAM as being 1,333 MHz when it's 1,600. I found someone with the same issue on another site and they just changed the relevant BIOS setting from "auto" to 1,600 and that was that, but when I try that I get a BSOD every time I shut the PC down. Any idea what I may have done wrong, or what may be causing this?

Look up the recommended voltage for your RAM and make sure it's applied in the BIOS. It's probably not having enough juice to power those babies.

Goodluck.

edit: Also, run memtest+ to make sure your RAM is working properly.

[surly]

Look up the recommended voltage for your RAM and make sure it's applied in the BIOS. It's probably not having enough juice to power those babies. Goodluck. edit: Also, run memtest+ to make sure your RAM is working properly.

Thanks, I checked the voltage and it's 1.5 Volts, which is what it's set to in the BIOS.

I'll run Memtest and see what happens.

[fuzzyreactor]

whats the secret to cable management. i have so many cable how do i get it neat like these pics.

[mkenyon]

Thanks, I checked the voltage and it's 1.5 Volts, which is what it's set to in the BIOS. I'll run Memtest and see what happens.

You have XMP profile selected?

Technically, anything past 1333 is an overclock on sandybridge/ivybridge/sandy-e. You might have to look up the specs and manually enter them.

whats the secret to cable management. i have so many cable how do i get it neat like these pics.

Link to a guide by yours truly in the OP.

[Doc Holliday]

W00t the sweet sound of post! Damn this asus bios is pretty slick :D

[rhfb]

Having too much isn't really an issue. As long as it's an efficient PSU, it's only going to draw what it needs.

It isn't modular though, and my new case is kinda small. I only need the CPU cords, 2x6 PCIe ends and a single SATA power connector. Rocking a 750w corsair now with a bunch more than that, and it is only bronze or silver I think.

[K' Dash]

Can anyone please tell me if this RAM:CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9 is compatible with this MoBo: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS.

It does not appear in the MoBo compatible devices, but that does not mean it won't work, right? it is also the recomended in the OP for that board, so... IDK really :-/

Thanks in advance guys.

[Ledsen]

HELP GAF!

I'm not sure if it's my PSU or GPU making the "cricket" sound... it sounds exactly like a really loud HDD when it's reading data. It's not a constant noise, but just like a HDD it's sort of staccato, intermittent, and sometimes disappears for a minute or so. It only occurs during gaming. My ear isn't sophisticated enough to hear exactly where it's coming from, how can I test it?

[dmann]

Can anyone please tell me if this RAM:CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9 is compatible with this MoBo: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS. It does not appear in the MoBo compatible devices, but that does not mean it won't work, right? it is also the recomended in the OP for that board, so... IDK really :-/ Thanks in advance guys.

It'll work. Your mobo has 4×240pin ram slots. The ram you selected is 240 pin. It'll go in nice and smooth. Also, Corsair is a good brand.

[Karmum]

My M4 arrived not too long ago...of course I can't find my Windows 7 CD anywhere. Going to have to "look" for it or use some other method...

[K' Dash]

It'll work. Your mobo has 4×240pin ram slots. The ram you selected is 240 pin. It'll go in nice and smooth. Also, Corsair is a good brand.

Excellent, thank you very much, now I'll wait a month for the parts to arrive, sigh...

1+ month with almost no PC or internet, I think I'll hit the gym again.

[mkenyon]

My M4 arrived not too long ago...of course I can't find my Windows 7 CD anywhere. Going to have to "look" for it or use some other method...

If you still have your key, you can download the USB version direct from microsoft. I dont have a link on hand though.

[surly]

My M4 arrived not too long ago...of course I can't find my Windows 7 CD anywhere. Going to have to "look" for it or use some other method...

Google for "digital river windows 7" and you can find direct links for Windows 7 SP1 ISOs for all versions of Windows. They're legit to download and use as long as you have a valid license key. Having SP1 integrated saves you time and a bit of disc space too, because if you install SP1 the regular way, Windows creates a folder that's several hundred MB in size in case you need to uninstall the service pack.

[Karmum]

If you still have your key, you can download the USB version direct from microsoft. I dont have a link on hand though.

Ah, sweet. Thanks.

[Fox In The Snow]

Anyone know where I can buy a tenkeyless (Standard keyboard minus the numberpad) rubber dome keyboard for my new rig?

All the tenleyless keyboards I found are mechanical, I know they are significatly superior but the loudness is a dealbreaker for me. So far all I found are minikeyboards with cramped key layouts. Thanks.

[Sethos]

What a night. Decided to copy all of my storage data from my noisy HDDs to my new 1TB storage drive, then unplug them and save them for a rainy day. Next time I boot it says something about invalid media or something, like it can't find the Windows installation. Change around the SATA cables, change boot priority, open Diskpart and try to set it as active all to no avail - Think it might have used the space of one of these HDDs I removed for that usual Windows 100mb system file.

Re-install Windows again. Then a night of overclocking and slightly undervolting, finding some decent settings. Found some that puts the 3930k at 4.7GHz, with an idle mix of between 25-29* and normal load of around 55* - Prime'd at 68-75* not perfect but it's close to my 2600k and this is with low RPM / silent fan settings.

So now I'm finally up and running for good. No case rattling, no broken installs, no noise, no more nothing. This was the most draining PC build I've ever done ...

[MrBig]

Anyone know where I can buy a tenkeyless (Standard keyboard minus the numberpad) rubber dome keyboard for my new rig? All the tenleyless keyboards I found are mechanical, I know they are significatly superior but the loudness is a dealbreaker for me. So far all I found are minikeyboards with cramped key layouts. Thanks.

The loudness of mechanical keyboards with MX Reds (anything else just felt like a really well made rubber dome keyboard to me, because you still had that actuation point that I never knew I disliked before trying reds) is actually from the keys stopping, not an actual sound they inherently make. You can get a pack of o-rings for $20 and it will dampen the sound when you bottom out. That just adds to the cost though.

A CM Quickfire (this model doesn't have reds, but its all I could find with a quick search) + O-rings will cost you $95.

[mkenyon]

They have a Quickfire Rapid Red available through the cmstore as well. It's a rebranded Filco.